MUMBAI: Australia’s subscription television operator Foxtel has appointed ITV Studios Global Entertainment as its international distribution partner on several key titles.

The deal grants ITV Studios all media rights (excluding Australia) to distribute Foxtel’s latest portfolio of finished programming and formats internationally. The Foxtel portfolio includes more than 30 hours of programming including Entertainment, Comedy and Reality. The Foxtel catalogue includes the hugely popular Football Superstar, The Merrick and Rosso Show and The Pam Ann Show.

In addition to representing Foxtel’s international programme and format distribution rights, the new agreement will provide ITV Studios with a first-look co-financing partnership option for future productions from Foxtel and its partners in Australia, incorporating the option to distribute the produced content.

Foxtel executive director television and marketing Brian Walsh said, "As our slate of locally-produced programming extends across a variety of entertainment genres, we are very pleased that our content is being sold through ITV Studios Global Entertainment. We are excited about their sales teams’ proven ability to get programmes out into the international market and are also keen to be working with them on future co-productions, looking to their advice on the international prospects of potential programmes which we can jointly fund."

ITV Studios managing director Lee Bartlett added, "We’ve been friends with Foxtel for many years now and we’re delighted to be announcing this new output deal today at MIPCOM. The agreement underlines the unique successes which our network of distribution and production centres are achieving worldwide, in partnering with the very best programming and production talent."